


Snow on a Sunday

by bluetoast



Series: Not Exactly the Stuff of Fairy Tales [3]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Cooking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family, Foster Care, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Kid Rey, Moving, Parents Han and Leia, Rey Needs A Hug, Snow, kid ben solo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 15:17:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13169640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluetoast/pseuds/bluetoast
Summary: Back at the Solo residence, Ben is trying to cope with witnessing the accident by acting like nothing is wrong. Typical for him. Han returns from work, and has news for his son and Leia. Rey arrives at the Andor home, where everything seems a little too good to be true.Written for HC Bingo - Prompt: Wild Card - Family





	Snow on a Sunday

Ben glared out the window at the falling snow, his anger not directed at the inclement weather, but rather at the massive oak tree which dominated his backyard. From his vantage point, you could barely make out the deep slash in the trunk from where the sedan hit it two nights ago. The whole inner rage made no sense in his mind; it wasn't the tree's fault. It was a tree and couldn't move. All it did was stop the downward tumble of the car, and kept it from reaching the drainage ditch another twelve feet down the hill. 

Stopped two deaths from becoming three. 

He closed his eyes and rested his head against the glass, and it was Friday night all over again. See the little girl strapped securely into her car-seat, hair askew, eyes wide and frightened. His first thought was she was only three, maybe four; he'd been surprised when she told him she was five. Even more shocked at how good of a condition she was in for the situation. When he'd taken her hand, it'd been oddly warm despite the frigid night. Out of place in a car crash and a sleet storm. 

Once the emergency services had left, he'd all but drowned himself in the shower, trying to shut out the whole macabre scene and find any semblance of calm. Anything, something to erase the nightmare of the wreck. He hadn't even been in the car, and yet, he'd found himself in the role of a fourth player, a Greek Chorus to the tragedy of the now shattered family. 

Ben's only comfort was he knew there wasn't any way Rey had seen her parents on her journey back up the hill. 

It would be his alone to witness; to remember – and there was no comfort. Who was he to claim trauma? It wasn't his family, wasn't anything for him to feel sorrow for – but at the same time, he wanted to tear his hair out.

Neither of her parents had been wearing their seat-belts. Strange they would strap their daughter in tight enough for a space-mission and left their own off. 

The woman, Rey's mom, had been thrown through the windshield ahead of the car, landing halfway between the street and the tree, and might had survived the impact, had the car not rolled over her on its path down the hill. He hadn't even gone over to her when he burst out of the backdoor, phone in hand and in total panic. 

The man, Rey's dad, was impaled by the steering wheel and the gear shift; completely gruesome – the sort of thing you only saw in films warning you about drunk driving. It'd been god-awful, hideous sight and he couldn't shake the image out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. 

Maybe it would fade with time, then some random summer day when he was mowing the lawn he'd find a thumbnail sized piece of glass, or a bolt embedded in the dirt, and it would all come back to him. This wasn't him being over-dramatic, he simply knew. 

Thankfully, he only had exams this upcoming week at school. Anything else and it'd be next to impossible to function. Hell, he was home and he could barely function. He thought he could come back from Saturday services feeling better; wasn't going to temple supposed to do something to help a troubled soul? He'd only prayed for strength to get through the seven tests standing between him and winter break – and really, what else did he need?

But there was no peace. 

Nothing but the sound of crunching metal and the scared face of a little girl more terrified of her mother's anger over getting her dress ruined than being nearly killed. 

“Ben!” 

He opened his eyes at the sound of his father's voice. He hadn't been expecting him back so soon; which told him to not expect him to stay very long before work called him away again. “Coming.” He called and walked out of his room, running a hand through his hair as he came to the top of the stairs. “If this is about the mess in the backyard, I had absolutely nothing to do with it.” 

Judging from the look his father gave him, he didn't believe it. “Oh, and I suppose you know who's responsible?”

“Yes.” He came down the stairs, glowering. “Some drunk asshole did it, killed himself, his wife and could have killed their kid.” He took a breath. “The cops had to mark all the evidence and we have to wait until they've got everything they need before we can clean it up.” He saw his father's mouth open. “Which I'll do, as soon as it's possible.” He frowned. “What's wrong?” 

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Nothing you need to worry about. Where's your mother?” 

“She went to Lowe's to look at fences.” the two of them went into the kitchen. “I didn't go with her because I need to study for my exams this week.” He opened the fridge and took out the orange juice. “How's the weather in Arizona?”

His dad sighed. “Better than here.” He coughed. “So you were here when the accident happened? When was it?”

“Friday night.” He took down a glass. “Did you want some juice, Dad?” 

He shook his head and leaned against the island in the middle of the kitchen. “Wasn't this past Friday the night of the party at the Damerons?” 

Ben was glad his back was to his father as he closed his eyes and counted to ten. Of all the things for his father to remember. “Yes.” 

“You didn't go?” The surprise in his voice was more upsetting than the mere mention of the party. 

“No, Dad.” He put the juice back into the fridge. “Poe's a senior, I'm a freshman, and anyway, I wasn't invited.” 

“You weren't invited, or you were and didn't want to go?” Sheesh, could the old man give this a rest?

“Both.” He shut the door a little harder than necessary before turning around. “I know you and mom are good friends with the Damerons, but Poe and I _aren't_ friends. We were never friends. And don't tell me I didn't try. I did. But at some point, trying looks like ass-kissing, and believe me, if there's one thing Poe Dameron has enough of, it's people kissing his varsity-championship-football ass. I don't need to be thrown in with his sycophants and brainless admirers.” 

Han Solo let out a sigh and went over to the kitchen table, sitting down heavily. “I'm sorry, Ben.” He waved towards the chair across from him. “How old was the kid in the car?” 

Ben came over and sat. “She's five and her name is Rey.” He tried to smile and failed. “Mom and I sent her a stuffed lion to the hospital.” 

Dad shook his head. “Poor kid.” He looked down at his hands. “Volleyball season started yet? I can never keep track of when it does.” 

“February.” He took a drink from his glass. “But practice starts in the second week of January.” He focused on his own hands. “I know you'll be busy and away with work.” He shrugged. “Any good players down there in triple-A ready to move up to the big league?”

“Maybe three or four.” He cleared his throat. “I can't keep doing this. Running all over the country for more than half the year.” 

“If this is going to be some bull about missing things here, I assure you, I've grown used to it.” He glanced up to see his father's shocked expression. “Really, I don't mind.” A baldfaced lie, but what else was he supposed to say. “Makes the times you are here all the more special.” 

“Now, kid...” He started to speak as the garage door opened. “You think your mom bought a fence?” 

“She probably has a dozen ideas.” He took another gulp of juice. “She wasn't here Friday night, she went out for her annual holiday dinner with her friends.” He shook his head. “She got home about the same time the tow truck came for the car.” 

“Sounds fun.” Dad chuckled as Mom came into the house. “How was the fence shopping?” 

Leia Skywalker-Solo wasn't fooled. “You're home early. Why?” 

“Now, Leia...” He stood up and Ben found his glass of juice to be fascinating, doing his best to shut out the conversation between his parents until he heard his mother sit down. 

“You haven't lost your job, have you?” Mom rubbed her temple. “Han...”

“Not even close.” Dad smiled. “Apparently while I've been scouting players, someone else was scouting coaches.” He cleared his throat. “Or my old team can't stand the sight me of in red instead of orange.” 

“Dad?” He shot a look at mom, whose whole body had gone slightly rigid. “I thought you loved working for the Reds.”

“I do.” He took a breath. “But the Astros would like to hire me to be general manager.” 

“Starting when?” Mom's voice was hard to understand; she sounded surprised and upset at the same time.

“Spring training starts in February.” He smiled absently. “I thought I'd get an apartment in Houston, stay there until the school year's over. Gives us time to look for a house and... other things.” 

Mom stood and went over to the fridge, taking out the carton of orange juice. “If by other things you mean me having to open a new practice and apply for a Texas license, you can simply say it.” 

“It's not like there aren't crazy people for you to help in Houston, Mom.” Ben spoke more to his glass than anyone. “You could also finally start working on the book you've been wanting to write. And learn about Southern Damage.” He got up and went to the fridge, taking a package of frozen meatballs out of the freezer and tossed them in the sink to thaw. “It's my turn to make dinner.” 

“You're awfully calm about this young man.” His mom touched his cheek. “We're not moving yet.” She went over to the table. “I take it you haven't agreed to the new job yet, Han.” 

“No. Seriously thinking.” He sighed. “I know, I should have brought it up sooner, I didn't think when I heard the Astros were looking for a new GM I'd be on the list of candidates, let alone one of the top choices.” 

Ben went into the pantry, leaving the door open. Getting out of Cincinnati sounded fantastic. Awkward and unpopular, the student body of Memorial High certainly didn't need him. True, leaving his long time teammates on the volleyball team would be a little rough – but honestly, it wasn't exactly a major sport. It fell into the average student's interest right after golf and before diving. He scanned the pasta sauces, his attention more on his parent's conversation than choosing one. 

“I need to let them know before the end of this week. Gives me time to get my things with the Reds in order so they can start looking for a new pitching coach.” Dad sounded tired. “Ben doesn't seem to mind the idea.” 

“Ben's fifteen and honestly, I think he hates Memorial.” Mom sighed. “He never says anything, but he was far more talkative in middle school.” 

“It's his age. He'll grow out of it.” He snickered. “Probably around the same time he grows into those legs of his. What are you feeding him when I'm not here?” 

“Peanut butter.” she laughed. “he goes through a whole jar in a single week.” 

“What's up with him not being invited to the Dameron kid's party?” Oh lord, Dad wasn't going to harp about something so inane, was he? 

“Poe and Ben aren't friends, Han. Not since they were little.” She snickered. “And even then, it's debatable they did little more than tolerate one another for the benefit of their parents.” 

“Yeah, well...” There was a scraping noise, a chair on the floor. “You're not mad at me about the possible move, are you?”

Ben set his hand on a jar, bracing himself. His parents' relationship was so weird. Dad was gone almost all the time, Mom worked strange hours – and he sometimes felt he spoke more to their respective secretaries than he did to either of them. Hence the importance of dinner. Whenever they were all home at the same time, they had dinner as a family, taking turns to prepare it.

“I'm not.” Mom let out a sigh. “I still need to digest it, Han.” 

He took the jar in his hand, grabbed a box of spaghetti and came back into the kitchen. “You both okay with vodka sauce?” 

“Sounds great.” Dad coughed. “Excuse me. Fence instead of cutting down the tree, huh?” 

“It's a two hundred year old oak, Han. They couldn't remove it when they built the subdivision. Besides, the tree keeps the sun from turning the upstairs into a furnace in the summer.” Mom chuckled. “Trust me, in the long run, the fence is cheaper.” 

“Tree people would probably break their chainsaws trying to take it down.” Ben remarked and washed his hands. He didn't want to think or talk about the tree. He turned his focus to making dinner.

*

Rey had never seen the neighborhood Mr and Mrs Andor lived in. She knew she would remember a place where all the houses had covered porches on the front, and some of them had screened ones. Some of the houses were brick, with shutters in bright colors, usually matching their front doors. They were bigger than the house where she had lived with mommy and daddy, but not as big as the house where the party was. 

She hugged Ben tighter as the car turned down a street where a house which looked like something out of a fairy tale stood. It was painted yellow and someone had built a snow-family in the front yard. 

“Almost there.” Jyn said from the front seat. “Are you warm enough, Rey?”

She nodded. “Uh huh.” she pressed her face into her lion's mane. They had given her a purple coat with sparkly buttons on it before they left the hospital. It was warm and she hugged the animal tighter. “Are we still in Ohio?” 

Cassian laughed. “Yes, Rey, we are. Still in Cincinnati, actually. Our subdivision is called Pennbrook.” 

Jyn looked back at her. “Few more minutes.” She beamed. She seemed to smile way more than any adult Rey knew. “I know, it's been a bit of a drive. We live on the south side of the city. The hospital was on the east side.” 

Rey nodded, still not entirely certain where she was now in relation to where she had been before today. She was still feeling numb, she didn't know if she'd ever know how to feel properly again. This whole day she seemed to be moving in a haze. She'd eaten more of her breakfast than she had any of her previous meals; it might have been the blueberry pancakes and bacon. She didn't get lunch; she'd been going through a bunch of tests and her head still felt fuzzy most of the time.

The nurses said she had a slight concussion. She didn't know how she caught it, but she figured it was what was making her head feel funny. Maybe it was keeping her numb too. 

The car made another turn and slowed down. All the fuzz and numbness seemed to clear in an instant at the sight before her. While she knew it couldn't be what her mind told her, it seemed impossible to think it was anything else as she gaped at the house outside the window. “Is this the Bear's house? He lives in a big blue house!” 

“I don't know if we have a bear in our house, Rey.” Jyn gave her husband a funny look. “Although Cassian snores like one on occasion.”

“The Bear lives in a big blue house in California.” Cassian chuckled. “Or Florida, I'm not certain where, but not here. It just looks like his house.”

“Too many bears to keep straight.” Jyn shook her head. “I should have remembered. Though I think it's going to be too cloudy to catch the moon tonight.”

She gaped at the lady. She was going to live here?; in the blue house which looked almost exactly like the one Bear lived in on television? Speaking seemed impossible as they went up the driveway and through the front window, she could see a Christmas tree. Surely, this was some strange dream. Yes, she was dreaming and any moment she was going to wake up – and be somewhere else. 

The car came to a stop under a small overhang – what were they called again? She couldn't remember the right word and rubbed her temple as the car shut off. 

There was a big screen porch on the back of the house, and she undid her buckle as Jyn got out of the car with a burst of cold and a moment later, opened Rey's door. “You need any help there?” 

She turned so she could lower herself onto the floor of the car and then stepped out, hugging her lion. It had started snowing since they parked; and a moment later, found herself up in the air, and then tucked against Cassian's side. “I can walk.” 

“I know you can, Rey. But you're not wearing boots.” He grinned. “Wouldn't do for you to get a cold before Christmas, now would it?”

“Guess not.” She rubbed her nose as they walked down a short path and up onto the porch, and he put her down as he unlocked the door, and Jyn squeezed her hand, smiling. “Why do you smile so much?”

“What, honey?” Her expression shifted. “Do I smile?”

She nodded. “All the time. I've never seen you not smile.” They went inside, and Rey found herself in a small room with hooks filled with coats, a bench against the wall, and, through a partially open door on the side, a washing machine. She set Ben down on the bench and took off her coat, hanging it up on one of the lower hooks as Cassian took his off and then sat down to remove his boots.

“She's a smiley person.” He grinned at her. “The only other person I know who smiles as much as she does is my abuela, and it has kept her looking young. So young in fact, many ask if she is my mother, instead of my grandmother.” 

That answered Rey's question of what an abuela was. 

“Don't believe him, Rey. Every time Abuela Andor smiles, she's usually up to something.” Jyn shook her head. “Of course, she was definitely up to something in her church's tamale booth twelve years ago.” 

Rey hugged Ben to her, looking from Jyn to her husband. “Are you gonna tease me too? I don't like being teased.” 

“No, honey.” Cassian set his boots under the bench. “Let's show you around, all right?” 

She nodded and followed the two of them into a brightly lit kitchen; noticing a rather tempting smell as she came into the room. It wasn't something she could place entirely; the smell was familiar, but she couldn't place it. There was a crock-pot on the counter, the scent was coming from there. 

Jyn went over and lifted the lid, stirring the contents a few times, before pulling the spoon out; whatever was in there, it was orange. “Another hour on the soup.” 

“Plenty of time to get Rey settled.” Cassian led her past a table with four chairs and two more in the corners of the nook and into the family room, pulling away long enough to plug in the Christmas tree. It was in a corner in front front of a curved set of windows. It had all kinds of ornaments on it; delicate looking balls and wooden figures. There were also those fancy object ornaments the gift-card store at the mall sold that Mommy always said were stupid and overpriced. Multicolored lights shone from the branches, making the silver tinsel sparkle, and unlike most of the trees she'd seen, which had a star on the top, they had an angel. 

It was a comfortable looking room, with overstuffed chairs she was certain she couldn't get out of if she got into them. The floor was wood; the planks were wide and pretty, and there was one large dark red and blue rectangular rug in the center of the room. “Was I supposed to take my shoes off?” 

“They're not wet, so it's fine.” Jyn answered and took her hand, walking her deeper into this wonderful house. They came to a small hall, the planks of the wood floor shifted direction and through a doorway, Rey could see another comfortable looking room, this one with a television. There was another set of hooks on the wall near the front door, along with a second bench and a rag rug. “Let me show you your room.” She started up the stairs and Rey followed, Cassian coming up after them. 

The stairs were wood too, and so polished Rey was almost afraid to put her fingers on the banister as they made their way upward. 

More wood floors upstairs, but a long rug ran the whole length of the hallway, and, it finally struck Rey what was so off about this place. 

It was clean.

Cleaner than any house she could remember being in. 

She hugged Ben tighter as Jyn opened a door on her left. “There's a few bedrooms up here Rey. We'll show them all you and then you can choose the one you want.” 

She blinked at the woman then nodded slowly, glancing into the first room. It was light purple, with a flower border near the ceiling. Another big rug and the furniture was dark brown. It was clearly a room for a girl; a desk was set against the wall by the door. “Pretty.” 

Cassian moved down the hall and pointed to the first door on the right. “Bathroom.” 

She nodded as he went down further and opened two more doors; one on each side of the hallway. The room on the left was blue-gray. It had two beds in it, and it seemed funny to her for there would be two beds in one room. Why did the Andors have all these bedrooms ready and no kids? Maybe they had relatives who visited all the time. She didn't really like this room; it didn't feel right. 

The one opposite was green. 

Green and perfect.

The walls reminded her of the cover of her Mommy's copy of _The Secret Garden,_ and the curtains were off-white and lacy. Like the purple room, it had a big bed with a matching desk and dresser, but the blanket on the bed was all different colors. She stepped inside, worrying her bottom lip as she hugged Ben tightly. “I like this one.” 

“Excellent choice.” Jyn said, coming into the room with her. “Do you like green?”

“It's my favorite color.” She smiled a little more certainly as she heard a phone ring somewhere in the house. 

“I'll get it.” Cassian answered and moved out of sight. 

“I like green too.” She went over to the window. “We'll eat dinner before too long, I know you must be hungry.” 

Rey shrugged, setting Ben down on the bed. It was nearly as tall as she was. Good thing it was so big or she might be worried about falling from it. “It smells good.” The scent from the kitchen seemed to be noticeable, even from here. “It's orange.” 

She chuckled. “Chicken tortilla, Cassian's grandmother's recipe.” She dropped her voice. “I don't make it nearly as spicy as she does. Don't let him convince you into adding jalapenos to your bowl.” 

“Jyn, your mother is calling.” Cassian was back. “She wants to confirm plans for Christmas.” He chuckled. “How can she not manage one kid?” 

Jyn rolled her eyes. “I'm sorry, have you met my mother? You know what a precise person she is. This is the same woman who had our wedding planned out almost to the exact second. It's a miracle she didn't call for a police escort from the house to the church, and then from the church to the hotel to avoid red lights.” She walked out of the room, shaking her head. “Honestly.” 

Rey blinked, looking from the door to Cassian. This was the first time she hadn't seen them all smiles, a tiny glimpse into what she could tell was more normal for the two of them. She pulled Ben back into a hug. The fuzzy feeling was starting to come back. “What's jalapeno and why did Jyn tell me I shouldn't let you add any to my soup bowl?”

He laughed. “It's actually quite simple.” He crouched down to her level. “My family is from Mexico, Jyn's are from Italy. Both cultures use tomatoes in their cooking. You know what a tomato is, yes?”

She nodded. “It's what ketchup is made from.” 

“Right.” He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it. “Italians treat tomatoes like the fruit it is, and make things sweet. Mexicans treat it as more of a vegetable and make things spicy. Not that Italian food has no spice, but theirs is subtle and Mexican is more upfront. Understand?”

Rey thought for a moment. She wasn't quite sure what he meant; there wasn't a lot of cooking done at Mommy and Daddy's house. “I know pizza sauce is sweet. Salsa will burn your tongue if you're not careful.” 

“Exactly.” He squeezed her hand again. “I have to go check on a few things downstairs. You going to be all right up here alone?”

She nodded. “Uh huh.” She tightened her grip on the lion. “I'll be fine.” 

He smiled and rose to his feet, a tiny flicker of pain on his face. “My abuela was right about the knees.” He shook his head and went into the hall. 

Rey watched the doorway for a moment, then went over to the window, pushing the filmy lace aside to get a better look. She could see the roof of the front porch and a large tree branch. It was snowing harder than it had been when they got out of the car. This whole afternoon was like something from a storybook. She pressed her face against Ben's mane, keeping her focus on the falling snow. 

It was so warm and pretty here. 

Jyn and Cassian were really nice. Nicer than most grown-ups she knew. They actually seemed to be happy with her. This was all so confusing. Everything seemed to be strange since Friday night. Mommy and Daddy were gone; the hospital sent her home with the Andors. 

No one else was looking for her. 

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and felt a lone tear trickle down her cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi! on Tumblr @amilyn-lovegood


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